Adjustable support for apparatus for cleaning keg fittings of tapping systems

ABSTRACT

Cleaning apparatus for a tapping system fitting secured in a keg that is held in predetermined position includes a nozzle that is mounted on a base to move longitudinally and horizontally into and out of liquid transmitting engagement with said fitting, and said base is mounted on a support on which is means to move said base vertically and means to move the base horizontally in angularly related directions, one parallel to and the other transversely of, said direction of longitudinal movement of the nozzle, to accommodate kegs of different diameters and kegs of different lengths and kegs having the tapping fittings located either concentrically or eccentrically of the end walls of the keg.

lllttlite States Patent George C. Tenn 87 Lake Trial East, Wayne, NJ.07470 9,570 lFeb. 9, 1970 Sept. 7, 1971 Inventor Appl. No. FiledPatented ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT FOR APPARATUS FOR CLEANHNG KEG FITTINGS 0FTAPPING SYSTEMS [56] llteterencm Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,461,8898/1969 Saxonmeyer 134/43 3,482,583 12/1969 Fenn 134/43 PrimaryExaminer-Robert L. Bleutge Att0rney1-larry B. Rook ABSTRACT: Cleaningapparatus for a tapping system fitting secured in a keg that is held inpredetermined position includes a nozzle that is mounted on a base tomove longitudinally and horizontally into and out of liquid transmittingengagement with said fitting, and said base is mounted on a support onwhich is means to move said base vertically and means to move the basehorizontally in angularly related directions, one parallel to and theother transversely of, said direction of longitudinal movement of thenozzle, to accommodate kegs of different diameters and kegs of differentlengths and kegs having the tapping fittings located eitherconcentrically or eccentrically of the end walls of the keg.

PATENTEUSEP 11911 3.603; 328

SHEET 1 0F 3 IN VEN TOR.

George C. Fe 22 22 BY M ATTORNEY r 7 2 INVENI'OR.

' George Cl Tenn 2 ATTORNEY PATENTED SEP 7 l9?! SHEET 3 [IF 3 INVENTOR.George C. Fezzzz By M ATTORNEY ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT FOR APPARATUS FORCLEANING KEG FITTINGS F TAPPING SYSTEMS The subject matter of thisapplication is related to the subject matter of my application Ser. No.706,381 now U.S. Pat. No. 3,482,583 in which is described and claimed acleaning apparatus to coact with a fitting of a keg tapping system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION l. Field of the Invention The invention isrelated to washing apparatus and particularly to the cleaning of kegfittings of tapping systems. The apparatus comprises in general meansfor holding a keg in predetermined position, for example on the frame ofa keg washing machine, and a cleaning apparatus mounted on a support andincluding a nozzle for liquid transmitting engagement with the kegfitting.

2. Description of the Prior Art The most pertinent prior art known to meis my own U.S. Pat. No. 3,482,583 which discloses a cleaning apparatusfor tapping system fittings that includes a support for the nozzleactuating mechanism, which support includes means whereby the actuatingmechanism may be adjusted vertically and also adjusted horizontally inthe direction parallel to the direction of movement of the nozzle intoengagement with the keg tapping fitting; to accommodate kegs ofdifferent diameters and kegs of different lengths.

Two supports are shown, one including a support frame on which thecleaning apparatus base can be mounted by manual handling, selectivelyat three different elevations and three positions in differentlyhorizontally spaced relation to the keg tapping fitting.

Another support includes side plates on the apparatus base carryingrollers movable in inclined slots and actuated by a manually operatedscrew.

Neither of these apparatus provides for horizontal movement of thecleaning apparatus nozzle in a direction perpendicular to the directionof longitudinal movement of the nozzle into and out of the engagement ofthe tapping fitting; and both of the apparatus require too much manualexertion and operator's skill in effecting the required adjustments.

SUMMARY According to present practice, kegs vary not only in diameterand length with the tapping fittings coaxially disposed in one end ofthe keg, but some kegs have the tapping fittings eccentrically disposedin the end of the keg. Therefore one object of the present invention isto provide support for cleaning apparatus of the type herein described,which support shall be capable of automatic adjustment of the cleaningapparatus in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the horizontaldirection of longitudinal movement of the nozzle to accommodate kegshaving the fittings eccentrically mounted therein, and shall also becapable of adjustment of the nozzle vertically and horizontally in adirection parallel to the direction of longitudinal movement of thenozzle to accommodate kegs of different diameters and kegs of differentlengths.

The invention also contemplates novel and improved mechanism formounting the cleaning apparatus, includes a fixed main support frame onwhich is mounted a secondary frame for horizontal movement in thedirection perpendicular to the direction oflongitudinal movement of thenozzle, a subframe on which said secondary frame, and an auxiliary frameon said subframe, which has the base of the cleaning apparatus securedthereto is movable horizontally on the subframe in a direction parallelto the direction of the nozzle movement.

Another object of the invention is to provide such apparatus which ispneumatically or hydraulically operated under the control of a simplepushbutton or valve manipulated by the operator, thereby to reduce tothe minimum the necessity for manual exertion and skill of the operator.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF Til-IE DRAWINGS For a more complete understandingof the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawingsin which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a cleaning apparatus for a kegtapping fitting, and mounting means therefor adjustably mounting thenozzle of the cleaning apparatus relative to the keg fittings in kegs ofdifferent diameters and different lengths and having fittings mountedeither centrically or eccentrically one of which is shown by solid lineson a portion of a ke washing machine which is shown in vertical section;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the mounting means I takenapproximately from the plane of the line 22 of FIG. I

with the cleaning apparatus omitted and with the figure turned on thesheet;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the mounting means shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of the mounting means approximatelyfrom the plane of the line 4-4 of FIG. .3;

FIG. 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view on the plane of the line5-5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is an end elevational view of a keg having a tapping fittingeccentrically mounted in the end thereof; and

FIG. 7 is a similar view of a keg of smaller diameter.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present embodiment of theinvention contemplates the use of the cleaning apparatus A for cleaningthe fitting B of a known type of beer keg tapping system disclosed inU.S. Pat. No. 3,228,413, which in some cases is mounted concentricallyand in other cases eccentrically with the end wall of the keg C as shownrespectively by dot and dash lines and by solid lines in FIGS. 6 and 7which also illustrate kegs of different diameters and different lengthsmounted on the frame D of a keg washing machine with the end of the kegopposite the fitting abutting an adjustable backstop E that is mountedon a fixed support F.

The cleaning apparatus A includes a nozzle G movable into and out offluid transmitting engagement with the fitting B, and the apparatus A ismounted on a support H so that the nozzle can be moved horizontallylongitudinally into and out of engagement with the fitting toaccommodate kegs of different lengths and can be moved horizontally in adirection perpendicular to the direction or path of said movement ofsaid nozzle to accommodate both fittings disposed coaxially orconcentrically with the end wall of the keg and fittings disposedeccentrically to the end of the keg, and also can be moved vertically toaccommodate kegs of different diameters, as shown in FIG. 1 of thedrawings where a keg of largest diameter is shown in solid lines andkegs of smaller diameters and lengths are shown in dot and dash lines.

As shown in my Pat. No. 3,482,583, the nozzle G is disposed at one endof a cylinder G carried by a carriage I which is linearly slidablymovable on a base .I. The carriage is actuated by a reciprocating fluidpressure motor (not shown here but illustrated in FIG. 2 of my aforesaidpatent) secured on the base and having its piston rod pivotallyconnected to the bottom of the carriage so that upon energization of themotor the carriage I is moved horizontally to actuate the nozzle intoand out ofliquid transmitting engagement with the fitting B. While thecleaning apparatus includes other parts such as probes through whichwater is forced into the beer outlet b and the air inlet 0 of thefitting B, and the cylinder carrying the nozzle is mounted for swingingmotion to align the probes with said openings even when the fitting hasbecome dislocated from its normal relation to the keg, these structuraldetails form no part of the present invention and need not be furtherdescribed.

The support H which embodies the present invention is shown ascomprising a main support frame K fixedly set for example on a floor, inpredetermined relation to the end wall of a keg mounted on the washerframe D as shown in FIG. 1. This main frame may be of differentconstructions depending upon the location in which it is to be used, butis shown as including a top bearing plate L on which is mounted asecondary frame M which in turn carries a subframe M on which is mountedan auxiliary frame to which the base J of the cleaning apparatus isfixedly secured.

The secondary frame M is mounted for horizontal movement in a directionperpendicular to the direction or path of longitudinal movement of thenozzle. As shown, the top plate L has two pairs of spaced apart bearinglugs 1, and in the bearing lugs of each pair is fixedly secured a shaft2 so that the shafts have their axes disposed perpendicular to thedirection of movement of the nozzle and spaced apart in said directionof movement of the nozzle. The secondary frame M has depending bearingblocks 3 slidably mounted on said shafts, each block being disposedbetween one of the lugs l and a collar 4 adjustably mounted on thecorresponding shaft whereby movement of the secondary frame in bothdirections is limited by the lugs and collars. The secondary frame isshown as actuated by a reciprocating fluid pressure motor P the cylinderof which is secured to the bottom of the secondary frame by a clampblock 5 and which has it's piston rod 6 connected to a lug 7 on the topplate L as best shown in FIG. 5, so that when the motor is energized byfluid pressure supplied through a pipe 8 at one end of the cylindersuitable control valves the secondary frame will be moved to the left inFIG. 5, while when the fluid pressure is supplied through pipe 9 at theother end of the cylinder the secondary frame will be moved to the rightin FIG. 5.

The secondary frame is shown as including two side bars 10 connected bytie plates 1], and to the bars 10 are connected upstanding brackets 12which has clamps 13 at their upper ends to support reciprocable fluidpressure motors 14. The piston rods 15 of the motors 14 have adjustablenuts 16 at their lower ends on which are supported the subframe N whichis shown as comprising side bars 17 connected by a tie plate 18. Thesubframe is shown in its normal lower most position in FIG. 4 and can beselectively elevated into various positions two of which are illustratedin solid lines and dot and dash lines respectively in FIG. 5. Thesubframe bars 17 may simply rest on the nuts 16 which permit adjustmentof the subframe on the piston rods, and the motors 14 are simultaneouslyenergized, when fluid pressure is admitted through pipes 19 to the lowerends of the cylinders, the subframe is elevated, it being understood, ofcourse, that the upper ends of the cylinders are vented to theatmosphere. Upon release of the fluid pressure, the subframe willdescend by action of gravity. The valve mechanism, not shown, willpreferably be such as to control the extent of elevation of thesubframe, but if desired spacer stop blocks 20 of the proper length maybe interposed between the upper sides of the bars 17 and the clampblocks 13. It will of course be understood that the extent of elevationwill be determined by the position of the keg fitting, that is, a kegfitting on a large keg or a keg fitting on a smaller keg, the extent ofelevation being such that the nozzle G will properly align with theparticular keg fitting to be cleaned.

The horizontal movement of the secondary frame M permits the adjustmentof the nozzle to accommodate eccentrically disposed fittings. In FIG. 4the position of a fitting on one keg is illustrated as X, it being notedthat said position is offset or eccentric to the center line Y of thekeg or barrel. The offset fitting in FIG. 5 is designated Z and it willbe noted that the extent of the offset from the centerline of thebarrel, as well as the elevation of the fitting, is different from thatshown in FIG. 4, where the fitting X is mounted in a barrel or keg ofsmaller diameter than the keg in which the fitting Z is mounted.

The auxiliary frame 0 is shown as comprising spaced parallel side bars21 on which the base A of the cleaning apparatus is mounted. The bars 21are connected at one end by a bearing plate 22 slidable on guide rods 23mounted on an end plate 24 and brackets 26 which are fastened to thebars 10 at their respective ends of the secondary frame M. The otherends of the bars 21 have bearing wings 25 also slidable on the rods 23.The bearing plate 22 has a swivel connecting 27 of generally knownconstruction with one end of a screw 28 which is threaded in and extendsthrough the end plate 24 and has a crank 29 at its outer end forrotating the screw. Obviously upon rotation of the screw alternately'inopposite directions the auxiliary frame 0 and consequently the nozzle Gwill be reciprocated alternately in opposite directions so as to movethe nozzle respectively toward and away from the tapping system fittingon the keg to accommodate kegs of different lengths.

It is desirable to prevent swinging of the subframe and for this purposeare shown vertical guide rods 30 secured in sockets 32 on the side bars10 of the secondary frame on which are slidable guide sleeves 31fastened on the top sides of the bars 17 of the subframe N.

I claim:

1. A support for a cleaning apparatus which includes a nozzle mounted ona base for fluid transmitting engagement with a fitting on a keg held inpredetermined position on a frame, said support comprising a main frameto be set on a fixed support adjacent said fitting, mounting andactuating means carried by said main frame to support said base and moveit selectively vertically and transversely horizontally with respect tosaid fitting to align said nozzle with said fitting and to move saidnozzle longitudinally horizontally toward and away from said fitting.

2. A support as defined in claim 1 wherein said base is carried by saidmounting and actuating means to provide move ment of said base andnozzle selectively horizontally in directions toward and away from saidfitting and in directions perpendicular to the path of movement of saidnozzle toward and away from said fitting.

3. A support as defined in claim 2 wherein said mounting and actuatingmeans comprises a secondary frame which carries said base, meansmounting said secondary frame on said main frame for movement indirections perpendicular to said path of movement of the nozzle, andmeans connected between main frame and said secondary frame for movingsaid secondary frame.

4. A support as defined in claim 3 wherein the means for mounting thesecondary frame on the main frame includes a pair of spaced apartparallel guide shafts mounted on said main frame, and guide blockssecured on said secondary frame and mounted on said guide shafts.

5. A support as defined in claim 1 wherein said mounting and actuatingmeans comprises an auxiliary frame carrying said base and there is meansfor moving said auxiliary frame horizontally relatively to said mainframe; to move said nozzle toward and away from said fitting.

6. A support as defined in claim 5 wherein said mounting and actuatingmeans includes a subframe carrying said auxiliary frame and means formoving said auxiliary frame vertically.

7. A support as defined in claim 6 wherein said mounting and actuatingmeans includes a secondary frame carrying said subframe and there ismeans for moving said secondary frame horizontally in a directionperpendicular to said path of movement of the nozzle toward and awayfrom said fitting.

8. A support as defined in claim 6 wherein the last-named means includesa secondary frame and means mounting said subframe on said secondaryframe and for actuating said subframe vertically.

9. A support as defined in claim 8 wherein said means for mounting andactuating said subframe vertically comprises at least two motors eachincluding two relatively movable parts which are connected respectivelyto said secondary frame and to said subframe, and means for guiding saidsubframe during its vertical movements.

10. A support as defined in claim 5 wherein said means for moving saidauxiliary frame horizontally comprises a subframe on which said base ismounted and an adjusting screw threaded in said subframe and swivelconnected to said auxiliary frame.

1. A support for a cleaning apparatus which includes a nozzle mounted ona base for fluid transmitting engagement with a fitting on a keg held inpredetermined position on a frame, said support comprising a main frameto be set on a fixed support adjacent said fitting, mounting andactuating means carried by said main frame to support said base and moveit selectively vertically and transversely horizontally with respect tosaid fitting to align said nozzle with said fitting and to move saidnozzle longitudinally horizontally toward and away from said fitting. 2.A support as defined in claim 1 wherein said base is carried by saidmounting and actuating means to provide movement of said base and nozzleselectively horizontally in directions toward and away from said fittingand in directions perpendicular to the path of movement of said nozzletoward and away from said fitting.
 3. A support as defined in claim 2wherein said mounting and actuating means comprises a secondary framewhich carries said base, means mounting said secondary frame on saidmain frame for movement in directions perpendicular to said path ofmovement of the nozzle, and means connected between main frame and saidsecondary frame for moving said secondary frame.
 4. A support as definedin claim 3 wherein the means for mounting the secondary frame on themain frame includes a pair of spaced apart parallel guide shafts mountedon said main frame, and guide blocks secured on said secondary frame andmounted on said guide shafts.
 5. A support as defined in claim 1 whereinsaid mounting and actuating means comprises an auxiliary frame carryingsaid base and there is means for moving said auxiliary framehorizontally relatively to said main frame; to move said nozzle towardand away from saiD fitting.
 6. A support as defined in claim 5 whereinsaid mounting and actuating means includes a subframe carrying saidauxiliary frame and means for moving said auxiliary frame vertically. 7.A support as defined in claim 6 wherein said mounting and actuatingmeans includes a secondary frame carrying said subframe and there ismeans for moving said secondary frame horizontally in a directionperpendicular to said path of movement of the nozzle toward and awayfrom said fitting.
 8. A support as defined in claim 6 wherein thelast-named means includes a secondary frame and means mounting saidsubframe on said secondary frame and for actuating said subframevertically.
 9. A support as defined in claim 8 wherein said means formounting and actuating said subframe vertically comprises at least twomotors each including two relatively movable parts which are connectedrespectively to said secondary frame and to said subframe, and means forguiding said subframe during its vertical movements.
 10. A support asdefined in claim 5 wherein said means for moving said auxiliary framehorizontally comprises a subframe on which said base is mounted and anadjusting screw threaded in said subframe and swivel connected to saidauxiliary frame.